Two of the three candidates for governor of North Carolina squared off for the second time in a live, televised debate Wednesday night. Although the Democratic candidate failed to attend, a Duke professor was more than willing to provide an opposing view.
Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican, and Libertarian candidate Mike Munger, chair of the political science department, sparred for approximately an hour on a variety of issues including immigration, taxes and energy.
Another topic of discussion was the absence of Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, who declined the invitation for both debates sponsored by UNC-TV.
"Woody Allen once said 80 percent of success is showing up. Bev Perdue has failed that test," McCrory said.
The Perdue campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.
The candidates' discussion was usually cordial and the two men often agreed with each other, but the debate also had some rather intense exchanges. One was over the issue of immigration.
"There are lot of people who want to become Americans but they are not allowed to. We need a high wall, but we also need a wide gate," Munger said.
Munger told the audience that he was the descendant of immigrants, noting that his ancestors had immigrated to Connecticut in 1651 without needing the forms required to come to the U.S. today.
McCrory disagreed with Munger's position on the issue. McCrory said he would ask the federal government for money to build a detention center for illegal immigrants who are arrested. The center would hold immigrants until they could be deported.
Munger rejected the idea of considering a human being "illegal," calling this classification "inhumane" and "unjust."
The two men's stances also differed on taxes. McCrory supports tax breaks for companies that will bring jobs to North Carolina. Munger opposes them.
"If we pay a company to come to the state, then they are coming for the wrong reasons and they will leave," Munger said.
Munger also accused McCrory of raising the sales tax while mayor of Charlotte to pay for various improvement projects, including the $250 million Charlotte Bobcats Arena-recently renamed Time Warner Cable Arena-which opened in 2005.
McCrory said he did not raise the sales tax, but instead noted that the voters approved the increase when they passed a ballot measure. McCrory told The Chronicle after the debate that he would not support any ballot measures that would increase taxes.
"Right now my goal is to reduce taxes," he said. "I'm concerned that we might be facing a budget disaster. I don't believe we should be raising taxes or increasing spending in the midst of the economic turmoil."
On energy, the candidates largely agreed on the need for increasing oil production and alternative energy. Munger, however, said he rejected the idea that government should interfere to help reduce prices.
"What is this we?" Munger asked twice during the debate when questioned about limiting consumption of natural resources. "We need a policy, but individuals need to decide how much they will use. If the price of gas is $4.50 a gallon, then people will drive more fuel-efficient cars. If water is free, then you just leave the tap on."
Both candidates agreed that the political process needs to be more open to other parties, adding that they would be willing to invite the Green Party candidate and others to debate.
"If you ask Coke and Pepsi how many sodas we need, two would be plenty," said Munger, who was excluded from a WRAL-sponsored debate Sept.9. "But Coke and Pepsi don't get to write their own anti-trust laws."
McCrory, Munger and Perdue are all expected to debate in Charlotte next week.
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